1
as in dual
consisting of two members or parts that are usually joined
the double-edged purpose of the sales promotion is to clear out existing stock and to attract new customers
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2
as in ambiguous
having an often intentionally veiled or uncertain meaning
her double-edged remark that she hoped that I ultimately got what I deserved
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Recent Examples of double-edged
Seneca’s and Cicero’s invocations of humanitas were as double-edged as our own talk of the humanities, pointing at once to a body of knowledge and to a moral choice that learning might inspire.
—
Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2025
However, trust is double-edged.
—Julian Hayes Ii, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Putin boasts of Russia’s record-low 2.3% unemployment rate, but this sword is double-edged.
—Christian Edwards, CNN, 26 Jan. 2025
For Eisenberg’s film, the decision is double-edged: from the perspective of the characters, exceptional demands are placed on the dialogue to make their past come to life, but the dialogue isn’t sufficiently rich or imaginative to meet the challenge.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2024
Usually double-edged, the weapons were occasionally decorated with engraved patterns.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Mar. 2024
Among artists and intellectuals, technology has always been double-edged, utopian and dystopian.
—Jed Perl, The New York Review of Books, 27 Apr. 2023
Nearly all executives and investors in this niche of neurotechnology acknowledge Musk’s impact on the field, though some say it is double-edged.
—Daniel Gilbert, Washington Post, 3 Mar. 2023
Trending For Sohn, identity is double-edged.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 15 Feb. 2023
Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2025
However, trust is double-edged.
—Julian Hayes Ii, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Putin boasts of Russia’s record-low 2.3% unemployment rate, but this sword is double-edged.
—Christian Edwards, CNN, 26 Jan. 2025
For Eisenberg’s film, the decision is double-edged: from the perspective of the characters, exceptional demands are placed on the dialogue to make their past come to life, but the dialogue isn’t sufficiently rich or imaginative to meet the challenge.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2024
Usually double-edged, the weapons were occasionally decorated with engraved patterns.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Mar. 2024
Among artists and intellectuals, technology has always been double-edged, utopian and dystopian.
—Jed Perl, The New York Review of Books, 27 Apr. 2023
Nearly all executives and investors in this niche of neurotechnology acknowledge Musk’s impact on the field, though some say it is double-edged.
—Daniel Gilbert, Washington Post, 3 Mar. 2023
Trending For Sohn, identity is double-edged.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 15 Feb. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for double-edged
Adjective
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Now at a special price of AUD $3,299, the bundle pairs the lightest 3kWh power station available with the world’s first 1,200W solar + alternator dual charger, turning any caravan, camper, or motorhome into a self-resilient energy hub.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
15 Feb. 2026
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This was the first appearance of dual moguls in the Olympics.—
John Cherwa,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Çatak’s anti-state message acquires an ambiguous power as the movie wends onward, with an enigmatic final shot that finds Aziz tasting clear-skies freedom but still from behind confines of a sort.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
13 Feb. 2026
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Wuthering Heights simultaneously puts too much malevolence on Nelly’s shoulders while also making her final decisions sort of nonsensical, even ambiguous.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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But in this subgenre, Ponthier embraces the role of an outsider, singing lyrics fantastical enough to satisfy sci-fi enthusiasts while penning Gen Z non-binary ballads to cry to.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
13 Feb. 2026
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Today, the school admits qualified applicants who were assigned female at birth or who self-identify as women, trans women, non-binary, or gender-nonconforming individuals at the time of application, according to its website.—
Laura Fay,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Then over the past weekend, the family posted another video — one that was more cryptic and generated even more speculation about Nancy Guthrie’s fate.—
Hallie Golden,
Fortune,
11 Feb. 2026
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Then over the past weekend, the family posted another video — one that was more cryptic and generated even more speculation about Nancy Guthrie’s fate.—
TY ONEIL,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The twin loss of fuel and tourists for people like Pruna has been catastrophic.—
Patrick Oppmann,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
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As the prediction markets Kalshi and Polymarket dominate the attention of investors and regulators, a sports-focused challenger called Novig is announcing $75 million in fresh funding to compete with the twin giants.—
Leo Schwartz,
Fortune,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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As Ecklund later learned, the sign was a reference to a once-obscure federal statute, 18 US Code 111, that has become a key tool used by immigration agents to detain American citizens.—
Isabelle Chapman,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
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Some deserving names, though, are still obscure, and that is why an exhibition at Poster House, on West Twenty-third Street, running until April 12th, is to be welcomed with gusto.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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At the center of the space will be a central bar wrapped in wood paneling and leather accents, topped with dark stone, according to the release.—
Noelle Alviz-Gransee
February 17,
Kansas City Star,
17 Feb. 2026
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The shoes accompanied a silky black midi skirt, a simple gray sweater, a thick dark turquoise belt and a long furry gray coat worn off her shoulders.—
Jaden Thompson,
Footwear News,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Double-edged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/double-edged. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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